Courtney Clenney pleaded guilty to manslaughter over the 2022 death of 27-year-old Nigerian-American Christian “Toby” Obumseli and will serve about two more years behind bars after receiving credit for time already spent in custody.

A former OnlyFans model, Courtney Clenney, has been sentenced to six years in prison for the death of her Nigerian-American boyfriend, Christian Tobechukwu “Toby” Obumseli, in Miami, United States.

Clenney, 30, pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a deadly weapon on Monday, bringing to an end a highly publicised case that has remained in the spotlight for more than four years.

She was also sentenced to five years of probation after her release.

Obumseli, 27, was fatally stabbed during a domestic dispute at the couple’s luxury apartment in Miami’s Edgewater neighbourhood on April 3, 2022.

Clenney had initially been charged with second-degree murder but maintained that she acted in self-defence. Prosecutors, however, argued that the relationship was marked by a pattern of violence.

Under the plea agreement, Clenney will receive credit for the nearly four years she has already spent in custody since her arrest in August 2022. As a result, she is expected to spend roughly two more years in prison before beginning her probation.

Following her release, she will be required to undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations and comply with any recommended treatment.

Prosecutors have also indicated that they will oppose any effort by Clenney to financially benefit from Obumseli’s death.

“We do believe that nobody should benefit financially from murdering somebody,” Assistant State Attorney Shawn Abuhoff said.

Family remembers Obumseli

For Obumseli’s family, the sentence cannot erase the loss of a son they described as deeply loved and full of promise.

Addressing the court, his mother said no punishment could bring her son back.

“No sentence, no plea can bring back my son to me,” she said.

A family representative told the court that Obumseli had remained in what the family described as a destructive relationship despite previous incidents of violence.

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The family said his death had left a permanent void, describing the empty space he left behind during family gatherings as a painful reminder of their loss.

They also stressed that Obumseli had a future ahead of him, saying he had been deprived of the opportunity to experience the life he had planned.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said the plea agreement allowed Obumseli’s family to hear Clenney formally accept responsibility for his death.

She added that the agreement was reached after consultation with, and approval from, the family.

Who was Christian Obumseli?

Obumseli was originally from the Dallas-Plano area of Texas. He attended Plano East High School before studying at Texas Tech University and later moving to Miami.

His death sparked widespread attention in the United States and Nigeria, particularly because of the circumstances surrounding his relationship with Clenney and the conflicting accounts of what happened during the final dispute.

The case also generated controversy after old social media posts attributed to Obumseli resurfaced following his death. His family condemned the views expressed in the posts but maintained that they did not justify his killing.

Obumseli’s family also pursued a civil lawsuit against Clenney and companies associated with the apartment building, alleging battery and inadequate security. The claims against Clenney were resolved before the criminal plea agreement was reached.

With Clenney’s guilty plea and sentencing, the criminal case has now effectively come to an end.

She is expected to remain in prison for about two more years before serving five years on probation.